The invention relates to boats in general, and more particularly to improvements in devices for enhancing the buoyancy of sailboards, surfboards and analogous floatable vessels.
German Utility Model No. G 83 22 936.1 of North Sails Surf Antilles N.V. discloses a device which is intended to enhance the stability and the buoyancy of a sailboard or surfboard (hereinafter called sailboard). The device of this Utility Model consists essentially of inflatable tubes which are attached to and surround the edges of the sailboard. The publication further proposes to place an air-filled buoyancy enhancing tube hose or a like part adjacent the upper side of the sailboard. The tubes are affixed to the sailboard by straps or are configurated to hug portions of the external surface of the sailboard. An advantage of the device which is described and shown in this publication is that it can be collapsed into a relatively small package for the purposes of storage and transport. However, the device also exhibits a serious drawback, namely that it does not contribute (or does not contribute significantly) to the comfort and space requirements of the occupant or occupants. Therefore, this device cannot be used to convert a relatively small sailboard into a boat which is ready to be occupied by several persons. Moreover, the attachment of such device to a sailboard takes up a considerable amount of time, and the attached device does not contribute to the ability of the sailboard to rely on the propelling force of air.